Locker latch



June 21, 1932. i s. N. HOPE 1,864,306

LOCKER LATCH Filed Oct. 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 s ZEzz/erzfof".

Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE SAMUEL NnwroN now, or wAowArosA, 'wIscoNsIN, AssioNon To DUDLEY LOCK CORPORATION, or CHICAGO, tumors, 1; coRroRA'rroNor ILLINOIS LOCKER LATC Application filed. October 15, 1930. Serial No. 488,727.

'This invention relates to latching mechanisms for closures such as lockers, vaults, safes, cabinets, and the like, in which is ,employed a vertically movable locking bar for latching the closure member to the bodyof the locker, etc. The main object of the mvention resides in the provision of an improved mechanism for holding the locking bar in raised, inoperativeposition, while the additions thereto. tures and elements of construction, herein closure member is in open position, and arranged to be automatically released when the closure member is moved to closed position,- permitting said locking bar to move to latching position. A further object is topro-ylde an: improved form of detent which is constructed and arranged for controlling the movement of the locking bar associated with a common type of cabinet or locker now in use, without necessitating any alterations or It consists in certain feashown and described, as indicated bythe claims. i 1

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a face v1ew of a locker equipped with latching mechanism embodying the present invention.

7 Figure 2 1s an enlarged view looking at the inner side of the closure and frame, with the side walls of the locker omitted.

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken substantially as indicated at line 33 on Fig- 7 .sition.

swinging on vertical axes.

ment beneathj correspondingly Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentaryview i at the inner side of the closure showing the locking bar in latchingposition.

Figure 8 is a perspective detail view of the improved formof detent embodying the invention. p

Figure 9 is a Vertical section showing another form of securement of the detent to the closure. v For the purpose of illustration the present invention is shown embodied in a common type of locker or cabinet now in use. In the construction herein shown the locker includes a body or frame, 1,.-formed with an opening, 2, WlllCh iscontrolled by a closure member or door, 3, hinged at 4 to said frame for The body or frame of the locker .is formed of angle and channel membersto insure rigidityand ample'strength, which members are connected to suitable side walls not shown. The closure member or door, 3, which, is preferably formed of sheet metal, has its ,free edge folded inwardly to form a flange, 5, extending at right angles to the plane thereof, and then continues into a series of bends for reinforcing this free edge of the closure, and providing a pair of spaced walls, 5*, forming a longitudinally extending guideway, 6,- in which is mounted a vertically movable locking bar,7..'

v lhe locking bar, 7 is preferably of U-shape cross section with the open side facing the closure panel, as seen in Figure 4, andhas certainlportions of its legs intermediate its length cut back and flared outwardly, as indicated at 7 in the drawings, for engagerecessed shoulders, 9, formed in the adjacent guide walls, 5, so'as to provide guidance forthe locking bar throughout its range of vertical movement, while at'the same time holding it captive. Rigidly secured to said locking bar is an'exteriorly accessible handle, 10, which,

as shown, is providedwith' lugs, 11, which register with a fixed lug, 12, on the frame, 1, which lugs are provided with apertures, 11 and 12*, respectively, for receiving the shackle of a padlock in case it is desired for locking the locking bar in latching position. However, I prefer employing a cabinet lock as indicated at A, connected through a bell crank lever, B, to the locking bar, for control ling its movement.

The locking bar, although not necessarily, is preferably arranged to latch the closure to the body or frame at a plurality of vertically spaced points, and for this purpose the-closed end or portion intermediate the legs of the U-shape locking .bariwhich extends parallel to the plane of the closure, is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced apertures,=13, which are adapted to register with correspondingly located keepers, 15, rigidly secured to the frame or body, 1, of the locker. These keepers, as will be seen in Figure 5, are formed to provide latching shoulders, 16, so that when the keepers have entered the cooperating apertures of the locking bar, and

said locking bar is then permitted to move downward, it engages behind the shoulders,

'16, of the keepers for'positively latching the closure to the body. To obviate noise and cushion the impact of the locking bar incident to its movement to and from operative position, I provide plugs or blocks, 17, of

resilient material, such as rubber, frictionally secured at the upper and lower ends respectively of the closure between the transverse flanges, 3 and 3*, at the top and bottom respectively of the closure, and the shortened ends, 5* and 5, respectively, of the reinforced folds, 5 at the free edge of the door. Thus, when the locking bar is raised the upper end thereof engages the block of resilient material at the top of the closure, and'likewise when the bar is moved down to its lower or operative latchingposition the lower end thereof engages the block of resilient material at the bottom of said closure, as seen in Figure 6.

To reduce the number of manual operations incident to the opening and closing of the closure members or doors in structures of this character, there is provided means for holding the locking bar in raised position during the time that the closure member is in open position, which means is also arranged to automatically release the locking bar to permit it to move to operative or latching position when the door is moved to its closed position. This means includes a removable, resilient detent member, 21, formed with two angularly related legs, 211 and 21 respectively, disposed withinand,'preferably as shown, adjacent the bottom of the U-shape locking bar and anchored against the panel by an extended spring tang, 22, which. is frictionally held in thelower corner of the closure against the flange,f3 by the'bottom member.

most aperture, 13, in the locking bar, so that as the closure member is moved to closed position, the bottom keeper, 15, enters said lowermost opening, and impinges against the leg, 21", of the detent, depressing it so as to move the leg, 21 out of engagement with the shoulder, 13%, of the locking bar, as seen in Figure 6, and thereby permitting said locking bar to move into latching engagement in back of the shoulders, 16,.of the keepers, It may be understood that the locking bar is freely movable in its associated guides, 5 at the free edge of the closure, and normally-the locking bar is permitted to drop by gravity into latching position, as soon as: it is released bythedetent, 21. V

This construction is of decidedadvantage,

as will be apparent, since the detent is removably secured in place merely by frictional engagement with the block of resilient material, which arrangement dispenses with alterationor additionalstructure to permit its embodiment in this particular form of commercial cabinet orlocker that is now in use. Thus this improvement may be readily applied to cabinets and lockers that have been in use for some time.

Figure 9 illustrates a slightly modified construction in which the detent, 21, is permanently connnected to the closure member by a rivet, 24, securing the tang, 22, to the lower transverse flange, 3 of theclosure I claim I i 1. In a locker orthe like having an opening, a closure therefore, withakeeper adjacent the' opening and' a; vertically movable locking baron the" closure having a flange portion extending parallel to the plane of the closure and'spaced therefrom, said flange having an opening to receive the keeper, the

"combination of a plug of resilient material held frictionally and removablyin a pocket formed in said closure in position-for cushiomng the impact ofthe lock ng bar atone limit of its movement, anda spring detent member having a foot piece disposed in said pocket and anchored'by theresilient plug therein, said detent engaging one edge of the opening in thefiange of the bar for upholding it at the upper limit of its movement, and

being formed for encounter by the keeper, whereby the latter disengages the detentfrom the bar automatically as the" closure approaches closed position.

2. In a locker or the like having an opening, a closure therefor, with a keeper adjacent the opening and a vertically movable locking bar on the closure having a flange portion extending parallel to the plane of the closure and spaced therefrom, said flange having an opening to receive the keeper, the 10 combination of a plug of resilient material held frictionally and removably in a pocket formed in said closure in position for cushioning the impact of the loclcin bar at its lower limit of movement, and a etent member having a foot piece disposed in said pocket and anchored by the resilient plug therein, said detent extending transversely from the foot piece and formed remote therefrom to engage the upper edge of the open- 20 ing in the locking bar flange for retaining thelatter at its upper limit, and being formed for encounter With the keeper when the latter enters the opening, whereby the foot piece is;

rocked against the resilient plug and the remote end of the detent is disengaged from;

the locking bar.

SAMUEL NEWTON HOPE.

pin 

